BLACK VEIL BRIDES’ JAKE PITTS: ‘We Should Not Judge Each Other By Race, Color Of Our Skin, Religious Preference, Sexuality Or Gender’

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BLACK VEIL BRIDES guitarist Jake Pitts has spoken out on George Floyd's death and nationwide "Black Lives Matter" protests, saying "we should not judge each other by race" or "color of our skin." A week after Floyd's death at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer, cities across the U.S. are bracing for more violence-marred protests in the coming days, with some calling in the National Guard to beef up overwhelmed forces. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was killed in an incident caught on camera. The officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on his neck for nearly ten minutes while Floyd was handcuffed. Chauvin has since been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter. Late Monday night (June 1), Pitts took to his Instagram to write: "The amount of hate in this world is appalling. I haven't been able to find the right words to say about the current situation in our country. I still feel like I do not have the words, to properly display the powerful emotions all of this makes me feel. All I know is we are all human, one race. We should not be divided, we should not judge each other by race, color of our skin, religious preference, sexuality, or gender. The sad truth is this is a major major problem so many face on a daily basis. "I being a white man, I cannot understand what my fellow brothers and sisters can and have experienced, but I stand with you! I see such horrible things happening, and I wish everyone to find some peace. I wish Justice to be served properly. I wish for everyone's pain and suffering to end." Although protests were largely peaceful as demonstrators marched in the streets from Los Angeles to New York, there were widespread reports of looting and confrontations with the police in cities across the United States. President Donald Trump has now threatened to send the U.S. military into streets after he remained largely out of sight for several days beforehand.